Yes, it's misspelled!!

Behavior Change

I am taking a class… well … actually two classes. Trying to finish my master’s degree. So, anyway, I have to change a behavior as a project in my Behavior Intervention class. Or in my case, restart a behavior. I have chosen writing. I need to write. I long to have oodles of time to write. I feel like I am doing everything but writing. Since I don’t have lots of time but I need to write, I came up with a simple plan. I am going to write 3 times a week for a half an hour each time. Saturday morning I go and work out, come home and pray, study my Bible and write, Sunday morning I go and work out, pray, study my Bible, go to church and write throughout the morning. Then on Wednesday evenings, after my class, I go into the library and work for another ½ hour on a blog post.

This is where I am now, in the WIU library, writing this post, making my first week deadline. The problem, I forgot my notebook with my writing in it from Saturday and Sunday. Not a very exciting post, I admit, but there is a purpose, a method to the madness. I have to find ways to carve out time in my hectic life to pursue what I believe, and others have affirmed, God is calling me to do with my life.

It is so easy for me to say, “I have no time. I am tired. I don’t feel like it. This is too hard. Why should I write? Is it going to get me anything?” But if I continue to fall into that trap, I lose my personal legend (a term I borrow from Paulo Coelho and his book The Alchemist). Within Coelho’s book he weaves the concepts of omens and personal legends and the soul of the world in a tale that reminds me that I too have a personal legend. I get to choose to follow it or stay stagnant. But the catch is, I know my personal legend. If I don’t follow it, I will forever feel the weight and burden of not even trying.

Beyond this story, I know God is yearning for me to follow the path He has set for me. I get to choose to move on that path or stray from it or not even walk it altogether. It is totally up to me. It isn’t about how busy I am, how tired I am, what I want to do or not. It is about weaving my life in a way that comes in harmony with God and the world He has created.

So, here I am, writing. For the next 12 weeks and beyond, whoever reads this has the ability to help me stay accountable in changing my behavior. You have the ability to help me reach my personal legend. Respond back to me. Call me. Leave a message on my blog. Text me. Email me. Let me know you are reading this. Let me know if my words are making a difference for you.

Way to go. I think that idea of riding and then writing will work out quite well. I personally don’t like to write as a structured things but to get those feelings out is always so great. I had my kids write letters and burn them. They were very happy afterwards.